#accelerate#government#efforts#Australia
The Australian government should step up efforts to phase out coal or climate change will seriously harm the country's economy, Selwin Hart, a UN special adviser, said on Friday. Australia has long relied heavily on coal-fired power, making it one of the world's biggest carbon emitters. But the government has remained staunchly supportive of the fossil fuel industry, arguing that tougher carbon curbs will cost jobs. "While mining only accounts for 2 per cent of all employment in Australia, I fully understand the important role of coal and other fossil fuels in the country's economy." Reuters quoted Hart as saying. "But we have to have a broader, more honest and rational conversation about Australia's national interests." The UN has called on all OECD and developing countries, including Australia, to phase out coal by 2030. Most other countries have committed to net zero emissions by 2050. In July, G20 energy and environment ministers failed to reach an agreement to phase out coal by 2025. But experts say some progress could be made at the upcoming United Nations climate talks in Glasgow in November. Scott Morrison, the prime minister, has said Australia ison a path to net zero emissions but has not specified a time frame. The country will update its carbon emissions projections at a climate change conference in November. "The Australian government should seize the opportunity to transition to renewable energy." Hart said. "If coal is not phased out globally quickly, climate change will wreak havoc on the entire Australian economy
#accelerate#Brussels#Russia
Xinhua News Agency Brussels, December 16 (reporter Ren Ke) NATO secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday called on Russia to take steps to ease the situation in Ukraine and its surrounding region, and reiterated the alliance's support for Ukraine. Stoltenberg met with visiting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at NATO headquarters on the same day. At a later news conference, he said the two sides discussed Russia's military buildup in and around Ukraine and reaffirmed NATO's support for Ukraine, but said it was not a threat to Russia. Stoltenberg called on Russia to take actions to de-escalate the situation and respect Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. He also said NATO was preparing for dialogue with Russia and renewed an invitation to return to the NATO-Russia Council. Mr. Stoltenberg also said the decision on Ukraine's membership in NATO should be made only by Ukraine and all NATO members. The deterioration in Russian-Ukrainian relations has accelerated recently, with both sides deploying large numbers of military personnel and equipment along their border. The United States, Ukraine and NATO say Russia is massing troops near Ukraine's eastern border in what they call an "invasion." Russia denies this, saying NATO activities threaten its borders and that it has the right to deploy troops to defend its territory. Ukraine has been seeking NATO membership for years, but Russia has adamantly opposed it. Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a video interview with U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday that NATO's eastward expansion and the deployment of offensive weapons in Russia's neighboring countries violate Russia's "red line."